NE-FL D-STAR System

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North Florida SM Candidates

Jan 21

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training | 1 Comment

There have been a number of emails flying around over the past couple of days that I have been copied on – names are not material, but the gist of the subject revolves around who might be qualified for the job versus what attributes we look for in a new Section Manager. To my understanding, Paul (KJ4G) may not run for another term – there are at least a couple of amateurs who have expressed interest in pursuing the position. I only know one of the potential candidates  - but regardless of who runs, I have begun to think about the kind of person whom I want to represent me in the North Florida Section. Of course, qualifications from a skills and experience set are important, but there are other “qualities”, attributes if you will, that I will be looking for and evaluating. As I began the thought process, I started listing those attributes and experiences in an email addressed to the folks on the original email list. As I read the email over-and-over again, I came to the conclusion that perhaps others would benefit from the dissertation, so I publish it openly here with very minor changes to protect the identity of individuals (where necessary).

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The electoral process is serious – each of us has our own criteria, biases and preferences, so this is not meant to sway anybody’s opinion – only to share one person’s perspective.

 

..  EXCERPTED from a response to a closed-email chain – 20-January-2012

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With regard to SECTION MANAGER, allow me to share some thoughts about the job and the attributes of someone I would be looking for to represent me in high office :

 

  • You have to be an EMBRACER OF CHANGE – saying that you only like 2 meters, HF and CW is just not enough nowadays. YOUR personal opinions and preferences really do not matter – you are here toPROMOTE ALL OF AMATEUR RADIO. Of course, you may not be an active participant in any or all of the digital or other modes (including satellite, spread spectrum, etc), but saying that you wouldn’t oppose something is TACIT DISAPPROVAL – that’s really not the role of a SM.
    ..
    Paul was always faulted for promoting D-STAR. As all of you know, I’m a major DSTAR proponent and invested in the technology – but Paul’s fault wasn’t that he promoted it – but rather that he was perceived to ONLY promote DSTAR (which was not true). What people failed to give him credit for was that he EMBRACED new technology – and eventually openly embraced WL2K and other digital technologies after many years of lobbying by Bud and others.
    ..
  • You have to be a FULL-TIME PUBLICIST and CHEER-LEADER – always stumping for Amateur Radio and the ARRL. Great people skills and a fearless attitude toward “getting the word out”, both internal AND EXTERNAL are hugely important.
    ..
    We, overall, do a very poor job of external communications and public relations. The new SM needs to change that – NOT by being the face, but by creating initiatives that will get amateurs involved, excited and active – regardless of the technology – then trumpeting their progress and success in an interactive, engaging medium to all members in the section.
    ..
    We have done a very poor job of getting the word out – relying on “old technologies” like driving hundreds of miles, or using the website (very infrequent changes). Today’s SM needs to be a MASTER COMMUNICATOR, using all of the latest tools, mediums and technology, like WebEx, Conference Calls, BLOGS and VIDEO to get the word out about activities, progress and accomplishments within the section.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time COUNCELLOR – motivating the best and the brightest to take positions of responsibility, but also mentoring and lifting-up those who are down-trodden and have felt disenfranchised due to past injustices.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time SURGEON – willing, able and skilled to cut out the “cancer” where it exists within our leadership team, as well as the rank-and-file. Nobody likes to invoke discipline, or perform organizational realignments, but the SM and all of their staff – need to be strong leaders and find the best-of-the-best to lead the organization. One bad apple can ruin the entire basket.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time EXPLORER – sometimes with no particular destination in mind. The SM needs to instill a spirit of adventure and experimentation, of asking
    ..
    “.. what if we tried this (or that)..??”, or
    “… who might be able to do this..?”
    ..
    Trying and failing is not to be faulted –  FAILING TO TRY is much worse.
    ..
  • You have to be a full-time HEAD-HUNTER – constantly recruiting, looking for the best experience, best talent for jobs that need to be filled. The Good-ol-Boy’s network just doesn’t work for the future. There is a wealth of new talent in the section – new licensees, young licensees – these folks look at the world with different eyes – we need to harness that spirit of adventure and that fearlessness – before they find other places and other hobbies that fulfill them.
    ..
  • You have to be a full time TEAM-LEADER – focusing attention on the team, not on yourself. I believe that the SM’s legacy is built on the team that he/she puts in place – on the positive movement that they implement, on the excitement that they generate – NOT on the speeches that are delivered, or the number of hamfests attended. The PERSON of the SM is immaterial to most of us – we want to see CHANGE, EXCITEMENT and RECOGNITION for the things that the entire amateur community does in the section.
    ..

While no single person can perform all of these tests or fill of these roles with equal excellence, it will be incumbent on us as the voting membership to prioritize the experience and characteristics of the candidates based on what we perceive to be high priority items.

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As a growing number of people line-up to run for SM (sick humor), let me share with you who I will be looking for (aside from meeting the above “qualifications”) :

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  • Someone who has accomplished a great deal in their professional or personal life – a person who has strived to be the best-of-the-best, regardless of field (including wives and mothers, since that is arguably one of the most difficult “professions”)
    ..
  • Someone who has a long record of MENTORING others – whether in teaching one-on-one sessions, or being a prolific writer and sharing their knowledge just for the joy of sharing. Do you take people under  your (ham) wing and try to give them new experiences, make them better and groom them in the hobby..?
    ..
  • Someone who has a long record of working Public Service Events with Amateur Radio – both for the recognition that it gives to Amateur Radio, and because it provides valuable training opportunities for our teams. Net Control, passing traffic, net discipline are all highly perishable skills which need to be honed and practiced on a regular basis. Working under pressure with multiple unknowns, as is common during public service events, is extremely valuable to non-experienced amateurs.
    ..
  • Someone who has a record of “pushing the envelope” – trying new things, doing things that others said couldn’t be done. I love people who are never satisfied with things “the way they are”, versus “the way it could be” and embark to make the necessary changes. That “drive” and a sense of constant improvement is both contagious and inspiring in the amateur community.
    ..
  • Someone who talks about WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE (MISSION FOCUSED) and how they expect to tackle the challenges, versus who THEY are and what their “qualifications” might be..
    ..
  • Someone who is focused on BUILDING TEAMS, rather than kingdoms – I believe that much of the “cancer” of amateur radio is due to a perceived sense of “entitlement” by some individuals who have held appointed positions for far too long. Their focus has been on maintaining the status-quo and therefore keeping their empire in-tact, versus advancing the entire amateur community.
    ..
  • Someone who is focused on EXCELLENCE – I have become famous for coining the phrase “.. we may be called Amateur Radio Operators by the FCC, but we don’t need to be amateur-ish in the way that we conduct ourselves”. This is especially true given the new crop of licensees – we need to LIFT THEM UP and encourage them to conduct themselves professionally – it builds self-esteem, as well as positive recognition for our hobby and community.
    ..
  • Someone who DOESN’T WANT THE JOB – and has to be arm-twisted into taking it. I’m not kidding here. I question the agenda those who want a political job – one that pays nothing, that has more headaches than rewards and one where everybody is a critic. To me, those that do politically maneuvering in order to garner the position are even more questionable.
    ..

These are only my thoughts – each ARRL member will have their own evaluation criteria. Sharing my thoughts is only meant to give one person’s perspective – not to imply any other agenda.

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best regards to all of you..

..

Mike – WB6RTH
20-Jan-2012

ARRL CHILDREN’S DAY 2012

Jan 10

Posted by KJ4LRB in ARES Events, ARES Training | 2 Comments

A mild winter day in NE FL brought brought Boy Scouts and other youth to Hershel King Park to learn about Amateur Radio. The ARRL Children’s Day event was hosted by Flagler ARES and FPCARC and the turn out was great.

Children of all ages were able to get on the air using various modes and make contacts all over the world. The goal of the event was to foster interest in amateur radio and help the scouts complete merit badge requirements.

Both organizations are active in educating youth and hope to participate in more events like this throughout the year. The goal is to educate children and hopefully gain some new licensees.

To learn more about both organizations Please contact Flagler ARES at info@flaglerares.net and Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club at fpcarc@gmail.com

Set Up.

ARRL Children’s Day – January 8th at Hershel King Park

Dec 28

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training, Go Kits, HF Antennas and Operation, Work Party | No Comments

The Flagler Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Organization and Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club will be Participating in the American Radio Relay League’s national Children’s Day event Sunday January 8th.  The event will be held at Hershel King Park, south of Grand Haven on Colbert Lane and will run from 12 until 3 or 4 PM. Both groups will have a number of  radios set up on different bands and Children will have a chance to talk to local amateur radio operators and have an opportunity to get on the air and talk to other stations all over the country. All ages are welcome and we encourage parents to attend as well and talk to operators to find out more about amateur radio.

For more information please contact Flagler ARES Emergency Coordinator Bill Schwartz; WS1C at ws1c@arrl.net,  Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club President Bob Matson; KA4VIV atfpcarc@gmail.com or Flagler ARES AEC-PIO Eddie Cail; KJ4LRB atkj4lrb@arrl.net and someone will reply as soon as possible.   The FPCARC web site at http://w4fpc.matsontechnologies.com/ has a lot more information on amateur radio in Flagler County and the FPARC Youth Program in particular.

Motorola Saber – SECURE feature

Dec 26

Posted by mikelee in Analog Repeaters, ARES Events, ARES Training, FEMV, Go Kits | No Comments

A very useful feature of many of the surplus Motorola Sabers, is their ability to communicate in Secure (digitally encrypted) mode. While not legal on the amateur bands, it is perfectly legal and appropriate on Mutual Aid frequencies when authorized by the local, state or Federal government agencies whom we serve (in this case, we would be operating OUTSIDE of amateur rules, as agents of the government – like in the case of the Flagler Emergency Management Volunteers).

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Secure mode has many options, but the most common is DES or DES-XL (proprietary to Motorola). All of the VHF units that Jason and I acquired are capable of DES encryption, and we have tested them using public safety frequencies at short range for tractional communications. In fact, we have tested using Public Safety, MURS and Ham frequencies (for testing only) and can confirm that secure mode operation is viable on all the frequencies that the Saber is capable of in the VHF, wide-band spectrum (144-173Mhz).

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You might ask – why in the world would you want to operate in Secure Mode..?? One very simple and practical reason is the transmission of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) when in the middle of an emergency or disaster situation – such as name, age and medical information. As we have all learned in the ARRL EMCOMM classes – such should not be performed on open voice channels, and not even on packet or DRATS, given that it is still “in-the-clear”, but it would be both appropriate and reasonable to transmit that information using DES Secure voice channels on appropriate Public Safety Frequencies.

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So, how difficult is this to accomplish – actually quite simple – once you figure out the process, technique and tools. In summary, here’s what is required based on extensive research and testing by Jason W4LTL and myself:

  • Insure that you have a pair of Secure capable Sabers (or other radios, including Astro Sabers, Spectras or Astro Spectras amongst other models) and that the firmware supports the encryption functionality,
  • Insure that all of the radios have the same encryption module installed (DES or DES-XL, or DVI, or DVI-XL, etc) and that the modules are functional,
  • Insure that you have a Key Variable Loader (KVL) that is able to load to the target devices (you will need a T3011DX if you want to load to Astro Saber portables or Astro Spectra mobiles) – if you only have Sabers or System Sabers a T3020 of any model will do. The KVL’s cost anywhere from $75 to $250 on eBay, or if you’re like Jason, you could possibly pick-up 5 of them for a real steal (less than half the cost of my T3011DX..!!)
  • Create a key on the KVL – this is a multi-step process which takes about 5 minutes, once you figure out the process. Essentially it entails entering a 16 HEX digits into the KVL to establish a single key, which will be DES encrypted, then subsequently loaded into the radio. The KVL’s are capable of storing anywhere from 8-32 keys (for different systems or groups), but the Sabers are only capable of storing a single “Radio-wide” key. By contrast, Astro Sabers are capable of storing up to 16 DES keys and can automatically scan the keys to perform key-matching against a current  received signal.
  • Load the newly created DES key to the radio – this is the simplest process of all – since it only entails connecting a single cable between the KVL device and the radio – once connected, simply press the PTT (Push-to-Transfer) button and in a matter of a couple of seconds, the radio will BEEP to signify that it has received and loaded the DES Key.
  • At this point, simply disconnect the  KVL cable and the radio will go into standard operating mode. When you want to go Secure, simply flip the SecureNet toggle switch and the radio starts transmitting a digitally encoded data stream across the Analog, wide-band FM signal which can be decoded by the other radios in the network loaded with the same key.
  • The receiving radios do NOT have to have their radios set for Secure Receive, since  the Sabers automatically detect the encryption stream – as long as the encryption matches the key that is loaded in the receiving radio, it starts to decode automatically. Other radios, however, will only hear hash-noise (sounds like squelch noise), followed by a beep an the end of a transmission.
  • A couple of cautions and safeguards – if the battery is disconnected while the radio is ON, the encryption keys are automatically “DUMPED” into the bit bucket – a security feature. If the battery is removed after the Power Switch is turned OFF, the user (you) will have approximately 30-seconds to re-insert a battery into the radio (power switch can stay off) – if a battery is not inserted in the requisite time, the encryption keys are again DUMPED. This is a crude, but effective way to prevent key-hacking. Once the keys are lost, reloading is required by connecting the KVL device and following the key-reload process once again (the Astro Sabers can re-load keys Over-the-Air).

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More tools for radio communicators – although not necessarily applicable for Ham applications, all Hams can still be useful to local, state and federal disaster efforts by being part of Emergency Management Agency groups thru their volunteer programs. For those of you interested in volunteering in the Flagler County, Florida area – please contact Frank Sanita at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center and join the FEMV group..!!

Philippine Disaster – Amateur Radio a critical link

Dec 19

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training, Go Kits | 1 Comment

UPDATE on Sunday 25-Dec-2011 at 04:00 local:
It’s now early Christmas morning and I just returned from my shift at the Red Cross. The officials brought in a very nice dinner for all the volunteers and for a short while, there was a festive mood amongst the group. Then reality stepped-in and one of the group leaders showed a video that was taken when we did our supply delivery and aerial recon earlier that day – the room was absolutely silent and you could hear people weeping near the end of the video. A sobering way to spend Christmas eve, but each person was glad to be there, glad to do their part – glad to help in any way possible.

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One of the UN officials described the devastation as looking “like an inland tsunami” – and he was right. It looks much like the Japan tsunami, except there is no devastation on the coast-line. Entire villages swept away by the rapidly rising flood waters, cars and trucks overturned and tossed like Tonka toys, lives ripped apart in a matter of minutes – in the middle of the night, with no warning. The current fear is that the final death toll might be as high as 3,000 after all the damage is assessed, all the bodies recovered and all the missing accounted-for. Much like Japan, we might never know the real number, because in some cases, whole families were swept away with no witnesses or family members to miss them. Very sad indeed.

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Infrastructure is slowly being restored, but it will take months for all the areas to be cleared of debris, new utility poles and power cables to be installed, as well as homes rebuilt in order to take advantage of the newly supplied power. In the meantime, shelters are full and food distribution, fresh water and sanitation efforts are in full swing. This was my first time to experience the goodness of the UN efforts first-hand, as they unloaded almost 7,000-Tons of food and relief supplies – a sight for sore eyes in the region. I have often been a critic of the UN, saying things like it’s “past its prime”, but in cases like these, the UN is a God-send. Much like US-AID and the Red Cross, these efforts are non-political and without regard for race, creed, color or religion – one of the few times that we help, without expecting anything in return – I think it’s called selflessness – something the world could use more of (as well as personal-responsibility, but I digress).

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I start my next shift at about 4pm, so I have a about 11 hours to rest and have a nice Christmas lunch. To all my friends back in the States – Merry Christmas..!  I hope that this holiday and the coming year bring wonderful blessings to you and your family.

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UPDATE on Friday 23-Dec-2011 at 14:30 local:
I arrived in Manila on Wednesday eve and have been working with the Philippine Red Cross each evening in order to pass radio traffic between the disaster site and the National Headquarters here in Manila. The situation there in Mindinao to the south is dire, with over 1,050 confirmed dead, many hundreds more missing and over 350,000 displaced or homeless. Power is just now being restored some areas, but most still do not have water, power, sanitation or adequate food.

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Again, amateur radio was one of the first to respond, with over 100 volunteers on-scene, working with the Red Cross in Mindinao within the first 8 hours after daylight, helping to relay tactical traffic, with another 2-4 stations enabled with HF capability to talk to national HQ in Manila – an impressive volunteer effort, in the face of unspeakable suffering.

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I have been invited to accompany a group who will be doing a follow-up aerial recon of the area. The task should not take more than 10 hours total (yeah, right), but I have no firm start time, since I have been put on 4-hour on-call for wheels-up. Spartan accommodations to be sure, since we will be riding with about 45-tons of food and emergency supplies in a C-130 (think: LOUD). It should be a same-day trip, but prudence still applies, so I will have my 24-hour go-kit with me in case of delays (energy bars, medication, change of clothes, insect repellant, personal hygiene supplies, etc).

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As you guys know, Amateur Radio Emergency Services is an important part of my non-work life and to be here at a time of huge need, with the right skills, qualifications and licenses – during one of the most important religious holidays is quite special indeed. It is my hope that my service will enable at least one other volunteer to have Christmas Eve with their family, while the relief efforts continue 24/7.

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Just got word – looks like we have a scheduled wheels-up time of 07:00 local on Saturday, which translates to 18:00 Friday in Florida. We’ll depart from the Manila Air Force base which shares runways with the Civilian International Airport. It’s a 45 minute trip by C-130, so we should arrive a couple of hours after first light – in time for an aerial recon, as well as touch-down in the morning, followed by a couple of hours of off-loading.

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UPDATE on Thursday 22-Dec-2011 at 04:25 local
Having worked my first “shift” at the Red Cross Comm Center, I can report that the situation is far worse than the international news media have probably reported. Over 1,026 reported confirmed dead 3 hours ago and over 285,000 homeless and in temporary shelters. When compared on a per-capita basis, this disaster is larger in scope than Hurricane Katrina was to the United States. Bodies everywhere according to the pictures streaming into the command center. Cell phone service is being restored using COW’s (Cellular on Wheels), but the problem for most is the loss of their phones, since the flash floods occurred in the middle of the night – most of the survivors were lucky to get themselves and their children out alive. Even if they have their phone, there is no power, water, food or sanitation facility, so communicating (other than locating lost ones) is not high on their priority list.

Amateur radio continues to provide support to the area, relaying situation reports, requests for aid, supply requests, etc – all while trying to keep the cell phone channels clear for emergency traffic and for Search-and-Rescue. The operators in DU-land are to be commended for their valiant efforts in supporting their fellow countrymen during this, the most sacred of (Christian) religious holidays. My hat is off to them..!

More updates over the next couple of days
——-
ORIGINAL POST
With over 900 deaths confirmed and hundreds more still missing, this is becoming the worst weather calamity in the last few years. Amateur radio is already a critical communications link for the area, with many tens of teams of radio operators converging on the area. Most tactical operation is on VHF in the 430Mhz range, while national coordination is being facilitated on 40M.

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I am in the region and will be going to the Philippine Red Cross offices in Manila on Wednesday afternoon to assist in their operation, manning the HF station for a few scheduled shifts, trying to give the local operators a break. HF is the critical link for the operators in Cagayan de Oro to make resource requests to the national HQ of the Red Cross, as well as to give status reports. I am privileged to know a number of the hams who routinely assist in these weather disasters and it is an honor to spend my Christmas holiday with them, helping their fellow countrymen. What started as a working vacation has turned into an opportunity to serve. Luckily, I brought my Icom IC-92AD with me, so I’m equipped for local communication. It always pays to have at least a minimal “Go-Kit” with you – in my case, I also always have an Inmarsat satellite phone whenever I travel anywhere in the world.

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Any readers wishing to help are encouraged to donate to the Philippine Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org.ph/

Flagler ARES Meeting – Thursday 3-Nov at EOC

Oct 30

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Meetings - by County, ARES Training, Flagler ARES Admin | No Comments

Flagler EC Bill Schwartz (WS1C) will be hosting the Flagler County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) meeting at the Flagler EOC on Thursday 3-November at 19:00. All area welcome and encouraged to join. You need NOT be a member of the ARRL, nor a member of any other local club or organization to attend.

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If you need direction, please contact Bill or others on any of the local repeaters.

BikeMS Training Session on the 27th

Aug 20

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training | No Comments

the first of two Training Sessions for this year’s BikeMS event will be held on Saturday the 27th of August at 15:00-17:00. Location will be the Flagler EOC in Bunnell (same as last year).

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Doug (N4FPS) is the Incident Commander again this year and will be leading the session. No RSVP required, but please contact your ARES EC to let them know if you plan to attend, so that they can put you on the duty roster for Event-Day assignments.

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We’re expecting a great turn-out this year and hope to see all of you there..!!

Some GREAT Field Day Press – with EMCOMM-1

Jul 5

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, Flagler EOC, HF Antennas and Operation, Work Party | No Comments


(click to enlarge)

FPCARC’s field day was almost a bust – given that the Flager EOC was occupied by firefighters from the Division of Forestry – diligently fighting the stubborn fires in Flagler and Volusia Counties. The club moved the venue to Palm Coast Data, who  offered to host the group in the spirit of community involvement and support.

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The Daytona News Journal did a nice piece on Field Day – covering the activities of both “churches” in Flagler County – with good comments from Dave Snow about what got him into Amateur Radio, as well as the Field Day event itself. The coverage regarding FPCARC was mostly centered on the change in venue, but also about the EMCOMM-1 vehicle that was at the event. Our very own Doug (N4FPS) and yours truly were  featured in a full-width photo, as we were preparing for the Operation Communicate Freedom exercise occurring this week at Camp Blanding. The article is just an excerpt, but all the meat is there.

Operation Communicate Freedom – Reminders

Jun 28

Posted by mikelee in Analog Repeaters, ARES Events, ARES Training, D-Star Users, NET Operations, Winlink2K | No Comments

Operation Communicate Freedom will commence at 09:00 on Thursday, 30-June-2011. A number of wide-area repeaters will be used to enable communication across the 13-county area that is supporting the Region-3 exercise. To date, Fire/Rescue units from each of the counties, DOT, Flagler Hospital, FDLE, DOF, FEMORS, FBI, the Red Cross, Media and Amateur Radio have confirmed participation.

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Amateur Radio (specifically ARES) was specifically written into the plan  and we are expecting that there will be a number of tasks that will be assigned exclusively to our three teams, which test the capabilities of Amateur Radio to communicate when all other systems fail. As the ARRL’s slogan goes,  ”When All Else Fails”.

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There will be three teams deployed to Camp Blanding, starting Wednesday 29-June-2011 – to support three separate “Incident Sites”, that will be simulating numerous disasters within the Region 3 area. Nobody knows the exact scenario, since that will not be revealed until Thursday (and progressively during the day, not all at once). We anticipate that multiple frequencies (bands) and multiple modes will be employed – not just FM Analog and HF which are traditional for most amateurs – but also Packet, Winlink2K, DSTAR and other modes (including SatPhone, which is also supported on EMCOMM-1).

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This is an opportunity for Amateur Radio to shine – our capabilities are numerous and our teams are highly motivated. But there are a couple of reminders that might be warranted, namely :

  • The entire operation (including Amateur Radio) will be operated under the Incident Command System – using ICS procedures, chain-of-command and ICS forms.
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  • Everything needs to be documented – every communication (on an ICS-213), every communications plan (ICS-205), every communications capability (ICS-217A), etc..
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  • We MUST work as a team – and integrate ourselves into the ICS structure. No room here for lone-rangers or cowboys.
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  • BE CAREFUL what you say on the repeaters – there will potentially be observers and evaluators (including Media) listening to all of our frequencies (they have our ICS-205, so they know our entire communications plan).
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  • Make sure that you IDENTIFY, as required – but DO NOT over-identify (it’s very annoying). No need to say your call 3 times in a single transmission, or even on EVERY transmission. Once every 10 minutes or at the end of an EXCHANGE is sufficient.
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  • All traffic supporting the exercise should have the following preamble  - “This is an Exercise …….”   and end with “.. This is an exercise”
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  • All Real-World Traffic of a Priority or Emergency nature should have the following preamble “.. This is a REAL-WORLD EMERGENCY”.
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  • If exercise traffic is in progress and you have a real-world emergency, using the following protocol at the break between two stations “.. BREAK, EMERGENCY” – all stations should relinquish the frequency immediately to support the real-world emergency.
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My thanks to our Planning Chief, Doug (N4FPS) who put together the entire Communications Plan, including all of the coordination with the 13 counties’ Amateurs – no small job to be sure (nor short on frustrations). Doug created an outstanding ICS package that will truly impress the Exercise Organizers – using a lifetime of skills and experience gained from being an executive with the Florida Park Service.

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To all of you participating in this exercise – thank you for your sacrifice of time and your upcoming service. Let’s show the planners, observers and media what we’re capable of  - and stun them all with our professionalism. Be safe during the exercise – don’t take unnecessary risks. If you have any questions regarding the event, feel free to contact Doug (N4FPS), Ron (WB4GHU) or myself via any means possible.

NEFL DStar to Support Operation Communicate Freedom

Jun 26

Posted by mikelee in Analog Repeaters, ARES Events, D-Star Users, Go Kits, NET Operations | No Comments

Starting at about 08:30 on THURSDAY of this week, and continuing until approximately 17:00, all NEFL D-Star repeaters and REF034C will be allocated in support of the Operation Communicate Freedom exercise, which involved 13 counties in the NEFL area. DSTAR will be used as one (not the ONLY) channel for communications between Camp Blanding and the EOC sites that currently have DSTAR.

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Traffic between Camp Blanding Control (operating out of EMCOMM-1 at Camp Blanding) and EOCs will actually occur on multiple VHF and HF frequencies, but the ONLY facility that has Handheld coverage to multiple counties is DSTAR – including to State EOC if they were monitoring the exercise (which is NOT the case in this exercise). The importance of being able to operate in the Camp Blanding environment with multi-county coverage cannot be overstated, since Blanding is the Backup EOC for the State (in case Tallahassee is crippled).

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All are welcome to listen to the traffic on REF034C, and any PRIORITY or EMERGENCY Traffic will always take precedent on any of the DSTAR systems during the exercise.  If you do have priority or emergency traffic and exercise traffic is in progress, please simply interrupt with the phrase “Break – Priority”, or “Break-Emergency” and Net Control will relinquish the frequency at the earliest possible moment..

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This is the first multi-county exercise involving ARES and the regional inter-coordination agency in recent memory. We have a great plan, thanks to Planning Chief Doug (N4FPS) and we expect to make a good showing at the event.